Centrifugal drying apparatus.



C. W. HOWARD. CENTRIFUGAL DRYING APPARATUS. APPLICATIONPILED JAN.17, 1914.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G, W. HOWARD; CENTRIFUGAL DRYING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN.1'7, 1914. 1,128,536., y Patented Jan.5,1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

G. W. HOWARD. GENTRIFUGAL DRYNG APPARATUS.

APPLlCATION FILED JAN.17, 1914.

L 23:7535, Pbtentea Jan. 5, 1915.

'4 sHBETs'sHBBT s.

'mmhm C. W. HOWARD. GENTRIPUGAL DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1"?, 1914.

Patented 39.116, w15.

GLAPIENCE W'. HOWAB), Ill-ulQISON,

lidi

' specileeton of Letters liatent.

Patented legni To who/fla may concern Be it inici/rn that l, CLI/latinos lill. in, citizen of the United Si; es, residing at u ort lil. ci? lows, hare invented certain new and fnl improvements in Centrifugal lrying; Apparatus; and l hereby declare that the 'following is full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel apparatus or lnachine for drying substances by centrifugal action, and is what ll term a centrifugal drying'inachine, and is especially adapted for drying.,T small particles in bulk, such as grain, button blanks, and other large materials, but by using drying cylinders of suitable mesh it can be used for drying fine n'iaterials such as sand,r sugar, etc.; and it may also be used in the separation of pnl ly matters. f lt is, however, more particular y designed for use in rapidly drying granular' substances such as grain.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine in which the material can be dried very rapidly by centrifugal action, and which can he operated continuously, so that the material to be dried can be continuously fed to the machine and separated from the water or liquid and the dried material continuously discharged. and for this puipose iny machine is provided with a series of drying cylinders which are adapted to be sinuiltaneously moved in an orbital path, and during part of its traverse of such path each dryingcylinder is caused to rotate on its own axis so as to elicct the dryingr of the material therein b v centrifugal action,v

and is than stopped Jfrom rotating" on its own axis Without stopping its orbital movement, and the dried material is discharged there- Yfrom at the desired point; then such drying' cylinder is again caused to rotate upon its own axis and while so rotatingreceives a fresh charge ol the material to .he dried, and dries the saineund discharges it before, in the course of its orl'iital travel.

My invention also includes novel means for arrestingthe rotation of cach drying cylinder at a certain point in its orbital movement and for bringing it again into axial rotation at another point in its orbital movement.

lt also includes a novel'v construction of the drying cylinders.

son, in .the county oi Lee and State i y facture and 1use the same, and in the cli le the eceoinpanyiitaa illustrated, one practical enibc'. .ini-e t invention which l will ddcribe in de .ril enable thosefainiliar witlu the art tornano l have summarized the no .l features combinationsofparts vlier i. ich los. protection. y

said dra.w1igs:-llig^are l.` front elevation `of the complete machine, partly broken 'to more clearly show some ot the features of construction. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail side View of the upper part of the machine show-` ing the devices for throwing; 4he di j cyl indcrs into andA out of axial rotative position. Fig. 4 is a. detail view oi 'the guard plate Fig. 5 is a detail vertical. sec-tion on the line -e, Fig. l. Fig.' 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through one of the ydrying cylinders and the inline iately related parts. Fig. l is a detail view the upper bearing of a drying cylinder. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the spring 7. ll-ig. 9 is a detail View of the rictional devices for arresting the rota tion of the drying' cylinders. Fig. l0 is a de-` tail top plan view illustrating a friotional drive for the cylinders. Fig. 1l is a detail. section olf Fig. l0.

As shown in the drawings. the machine frame comprisesv a base l of any suitable contour, from which rise four standards if that are connected at top by a frame or spider lb to hold the-iu in rigid relation. These parts may be united in any suitable way, threads and nuts being shown for such purpose in the drawings.

` On the base l are moilnted bearings 23,2", for a horizontal shaft Q, which extends diametrically across the base and through a central standard 2 that is disposed at about the vertical axis of the frame; and in the upper end of the standard 2 is stepped e. vertical shaft 3 (see Figs. 'l and 5l, the upper end of which shaft is journaled in a bearing 3 in the top frame 1b;

Shaft may be driven by any suitable means.v being shown as provided with a pulle)1 Qd, on one end by which it can be belted to a driring,T shaft (not shown). The shaft :sst-ands vertically above shaft 2 and is driven from shaft Q by means of a bevel gear Se meshing' with a bevel gear 2e on shaft 2., Fig. 1. On the shaft 3 above gear 3,.iS loosely placed a sleeve 3", to the lower end of which is rigidly attached the hub of a horizontally disposed friction wheel, which preferably ycomprises an annular rim Il, a hub 4 and connecting spokes 4, which spokes are preferably bent so that the rim 5 4 lies in a plane below the gear 3, while the hub 4 is fast to the lower e'nd of the sleeve 3'b above the gear 3. The sleeve 3 and friction wheel may be supported upon the gear 3 by means of ball bearings, indicated at 3, of any suitable construction so that the friction wheel and sleeve 3lj can turn upon, and independently of, the shaft 3. If desired, `the gear 3e may be similarly. supported by roller bearings 3f on the standard 2c V so as to lessen the friction due to the weight of superposed parts.

On the shaft 2c may be keyed a slidable friction pulley 2h adapted to contact with the under side of the rim a of the friction wheel and rotate the latter. The wheel fir may be held down so as to frictionally contact with the pulley 2h by means of an idler 4h on a stub shaft 4l attached to the bracket above the shaft 2, as shown in Fig. 1.

2.5 The friction pulley 2h may be keyed -to the shaft 2 as shown, and be adjustable longi tudinally of said shaft by means of a yoke(a 2J engaging a grooved -collar 2* on the hub of the pulley, and this yoke be supported on a screw shaft 2k that may be rotatably mounted in and between the brackets 2h and 2, (see Fig. 1,) and which can be adjusted by means of a hand wheel 2 on its outer end. By adjusting the pulley 2h radially of the Afriction Wheel the relative speed of rotation of the slraft 3 and the sleeve 3* can be varied.

0n the shaft 2, at the side of gear 2s, op posite the friction pulley 2, may be an idler 4.0 pulley 2 adapted to support the adjacent portionof the friction wheel 4 and prevent tipping of the same under the pressure of the friction pulley 2*.

On the sleeve 3b above the friction Wheel 4: is mounted two spider frames 5., whose hubs may be fastened to the sleeve "3 by bolts or other suitable means; and these hubs may be spaced apart by means of a l' tube 5x surrounding the sleeve 3; and the spiders are rigidly connected by means of tie bolts 5b. Thelower `spider 5 is provided with bearings'or socketsc, which may be rounded or tapered at bottom as shown in Fig. 7, in which are stepped the lower ends of the vertical shafts 6 of the drying cylinders hereinafter referred to. .The upper spider 5* is/provided with radial slots 5d, vertically above the bearings 5, in which slots .are radially movable boxes'5 in which the upper parts of the shafts 6 may be journaled, shafts 6 extending above said boxes (see Figs. 6 and 7.) The boxes may be normally forced 'outward by means of springs 5?, for the purpose hereinafter ex.-

6 plained.

of the cylinder. The apex masses the upper end of this cylinder is preferably slightly contracted by bending the upper edge of its walls inward, as indicated at 6. Attached to the shaft 6 within the cylinder 6 is a cone 6 the base of which is of less external diameter than the internal diameter of this cone may be attached to a collar 6 secured to the shaft by a set screw, or other suitable means (Fig. 6). The .cone is so adjusted that its base is very near the lower end of the cylinder, and by this cone the bottom of the drying cylinder is partially closed, but the mouth or upper end of the cylinder is open.

On the shaft 6above the spider 5, isattached a pinion 6 adapted to mesh with a master gear 3 fastened to the shaft 3, above the spider 5", and when the pinion and gear are in mesh the drying cylinders will be rotated on their axes and at the same time have an orbital movement around the shaft 3 by the rotation of the spiders, imparted by the friction gearing.

On the upper end of each shaft 6, above the pinion 6, is ari idler roller 6 which is adapted to contact with the inner edge of a circular cam plate or ring 7 suspended from and rigidly connected to the top frame 41* by means of'bolts 7, and spacing sleeves 7, as indicated in the drawings. The major portion of the inner periphery of this ring 7 is concentric to the master gear 3, o that when the rollers 6 are engaged Wih such portion of the plate, the pinion 6 will be held in mesh with the master gear 3, but one point of this ring is cut away, as indicated at 7, (Fig. 2) and when a drying cylinder reaches the outer end of this part of the plate and the roller 6 on its shaft 6 enters the cut-away portion 7 of the plate, the s ring 5f will move the box 5 outward su ciently to disengage its pinion 6 from the master gear 3. The box 5 may be capable of `slight rocking motion in the longitudinal plane of the slot 51 so as to permit the necessary slight swinging motion of the shaft 6. When the roller 6 reaches the other end of the cut-away portion 7 it contacts with a cam surface 7 on the ring, which causes it to move back to normal position and rengage'the pinion 6 with the master gear 3. To prevent danger of clash of the gearvand pinion teeth at this point, preferably provide a flat spring 7 (see Figs. 2 and 8), which 130 llO may he attached to the ring la or other .suitable Support, and which preferably has itsl end notched at 7l so as to extend above and below the cani portion ie of the plate (sec Figs. 3 and 8), and which will he engaged by the roller 6 of the drying cylinder ineviiig thereby and torce the roller inward v'ith Ia yielding pressure until its pinion 6 reines into engagement and proper mesh with the teeth of the master` gear 3. In therconstruction shown in the drawings l haverillustrzited these dryingcylinders arranged in concentric' series around the shait $5, andthe cut-away portion 7 of the ring; preferably extends for about onc-fourth the circumference of the ring 7. lin order to insure"disengagement of the pinions G from the master gear 3", ivhen 'the drying cylinders are moving past the cut-away portion tial provide a guard plate 8 which may attached to the top traine l by means oil end pieces Sb, bolted to said plate as shown Fig. Q; the body oi said plate beii'igcurved to substantially correspond to the inner .curvature of the ring 7; and said plate has on its forward end, toward which the pinions G move, an inifardly bent rain portion 8, which projc'ets into the path of the rollers 6 and ivill tend to cause theni to move outwardly and thus positively disch-- gage the pinions 6 troni the master gear 31. The other end of the plate S is cut away adjacent the spring 7? so as not to in terfere with the action of the spring 'i'e and cam 7C in returning the pinions (3 into engagement with the master gear 3".

Material may be supplied to the drying cylinders from hopper 9 mounted at one side of the machine and provided with a discharge spout 9 that extends inwardly to a pointheloir the spider 5 andin such position that the material discharged trom the spout will enter the open upper ends of the drying' cylinders passing' thereunder. ln order to prevent the material falling he` tween adjacent drying cylinders while passing the spent l provide double inclined chutes which are supported on brackets flf secured to the spider 5a intermediate each adjacent pair of drying cylinders and in such position that the chutes pass beneath the spout 9 and receive the material tlieieltroni which would otherwise drop between adjacent cylinders. and such material is directed by these chutes into the respective drying:v cylinders.

While l have shoivn and "described the use of toothed gea-ring for rotating' the drying cylinders on their individual axes, l do not restrict myself to the use of such gearing as any other suita'blevform of I driver may be employed. l contemplate in practice usingfrictional gears instead of toothed gears; and as indicated in Fiss. l and lll'. may make the master gear With a groei/ed trictional surface 13 in its periphery, and provide sha-tts G with friction pinions l to obtain increased trictional colitact siirface betweenv the gearA and piniens when the latter are moved into contact with niay be supported by brackets l0 attached to the uprights la, or in any other suitable` manner, and which extends trein a point above the tops of the drying cylinders to a point below the saine, and the loiver end of this Vcurtain is preferably provided on its inner side with a gutter 10', that is preterably inclined so that all the riva-ter collected on the curtain and in the gutter will run oil by gravity to the discharge spout 10"` bv which it may be conducted away `trein the machine. l1' desired each drying cylinder may also be partiall sui-rounded hy a curtain l0 (Figs. l andI 5) which is irovided at its lower end with a gutter- 101 that leads to a discharge spout 10 that-projects outvvard sutliciently to discharge the water into the gutter l0b so that the interior of the machine will be kept dry as Well as the exterior and all the separated water or liquid will he conducted on'.

l"elov the spider 5 is mounted an apron 11 which may he `supported on the adjacent uprights 1, and which is preferablyl made conical and tapering to a discharge spout 11C hy which the dried material admitted into the apron from the drying cylinders is' discharged iroin the machine. v

When the machine is iii operationthe dryingcylinders are rotated atgreatvspecd when they reach the recess 7n in the ring 7' l 5 and the rotation of the cylinders must be stopped in order to dump the material. For this purpose l prefer to use friction de vices. and have shown a brake spring l2 attached to a bracket l2" on one of the uprights la adjacent the ent-rance end ot the rut-aivay portion 7a. and this spring is adapted to eng-rage the lower end or outer side oi' the drying` cylinders as they reach this' point andl ivill by friction arrest their4 rotation. The cylinders niay he provided with annular bands (3* at their loiver ends to engage thetrictional'brake 12. I may also provide a san-ingr catch 13 attached to the parts 1 or on the adjacent part of the traine, andy extending into position to frictionally engage the pinion G on the shaft of the drying cylinder' and arrest the latter by engaging the teeth thereof so that the cylin ders ivill stop their axial rotation While they are traversing' the cut-array portioir'a of the ring` and as soon as the cylinders stop, or sufficiently sloe-y down their speed, the

iis

material therein will drop by gravity onto the apron l1 and be discharged.

lVhat I 'claim is: f

l. In a centrifugal drying machine, the combination of a drying cylinder, means for moving said. cylinder in an orbital path, means for axially rotating said cylinder during a portion of its orbital movement, and means for arrestingits rotation during an other portion of its orbital movement.

2. In a centrifugal drying machine, the combination of a series of drying cylinders, means for moving said series in an orbital path, means for axially rotating each cylinder during part of its orbital movement, and means for arresting the rotation of each cylinder during another part of its orbital movement.

3. In a centrifugal drying machine, the combination of a drying cylinder means for moving said cylinder in an or ital path, means for axially rotating said cylinder during part of its orbital movement, means for arresting itsf rotation during another part of its orbitalmovement, and means for 'feeding material yto said cylinder as it travels. y

4. In aI centrifugal drying machine, the combination of' a ser-ies of drying cylinders, means for moving said series in an orbital path, means orhxially rotating each cylinder during parti of its orbital movement, meansfor arresting the rotationof each cylinder during another art of its orbital movement; means for ceding material to the series of cylinders as they travel, and

means for catching the Water or liquid separated from the material.

vln a centrifugal drying machine, the combination of a rotatable support, a. series of drying cylinders rotatably mounted upon lsaid support and adapted 'to be moved thereby in an orbital path, means for axially rotating said cylinders during their. orbital movement, means for arrestin the rotation of the cylinders during part o their orbital movement to discharge the dried material, and means for catching the Water or-liquid and discharging the same separately from the dried material.

G. ln a centrifugal drying machine, the combination of a rotatable support, a series of drying cylinders rotatably mounted upon said support and' adapted to be moved there, by in an orbital path, `means for axially ro#- tating said cylinders during their orbital movement, means for arrestin the 'rotation of the cylinders during part o their orbital movement to discharge the dried material, means 'for feeding material into the cylinders as they travel, and .chutes intermediate the adjacent cylinders adapted to prevent material from falling between adjacent cylinders.

'7.' Ina centrifugal drying machine, the

aisance 8. ln a centrifugal drying machine, the

'combination of a rotatable support, a series of drying cylinders rotatably mounted upon said support and adapted to he moved thereby in an orbital path, means for axially rotating said cylinders during their orbital, movement, means for arresting the rotation of the cylinders during part of their orbital movement to discharge the dried material, means for catching the liquid separated from the dried material; a spout forgfeeding material into the cylinders as they travel, and chutes intermediate adjacent cylinders adapted to direct the material into the cylinders and prevent it from falling between yadjacent cylinders.

9. In a centrifugal drying machine, the combination of a rotatable su port, drying cylinders rotatably journale`v upon said support, a master gear and pinion on the' shaft# of each drying cylinder adapted to engage said master gear, means lor holding the pinion and gear in engagement during part-of the orbital movement of the cylinder, means for disengaging the pinion and master gear during another part of the orbital movement of the cylinder, and means for rengaging the pinion and gear' at the end of such portion of the movement; means for feeding material to the cylinders during their orbital travel, and chutes located between the adjacent cylinders adapted to direct material into said cylinders.

l0. In a centrifugal drying machine, the

combination of ayertically disposed shaft, a master gear thereon, means for driving the vertical shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted on said shaft, and means' for driving the sleeve independently of the vertigal shaft; spiders mounted on 'said sleeve, drying cylinders rotatably mounted on sa'i'd spiders,v

means -for driving said cylinders irom'the master gear during part of the rotation of said spiders, and means tor arresting the axial rotation of the cylinders during another part of their orbital movement by said spiders.

11. ln a centrifugal drying machine, the combination of a vertically.' disposed sli'aft, a master gear thereon, means for driving the vertical shaft, a sleeveloosely mount ed on said shaft, means for driving the sleeve independently of thev vertical shaft,

las

' part of the rotation of combination of e vertically .ring for holding :mesme f--zgiiders mounted on seid sleeve, ay drying f-ylinder 'having its shaft mounted in said' spiders, a pinion. on the cylinder shaft adapted to mesh with the Ina-ster gear, a said pinion in mesh with said gear during part of the rotation of said spiders, means for disenaging the pinion from the master gear uring another said spiders, and means for rengaging the pinion with the mister gea-r, substantially as described.

12. In a centrifugal drying machine, the combination of a verticelly disposed shaft, a master gear thereon, y the vertical shaft, a sleeve loosel mounted on said shaft, and geerin for riving the sleeve independently et t e vertical shaft, spider iframes mounted onfsaid sleeve, dry ing c in said spiders-a pinionon each cylinder shaft adapted to ninesbjwith the master gear, a ring for holding seid 'pinion in mesh with said gear during I of said spider iremos ineens for disengog-s ing the pinion from t e meester gear during another part of tb rotation of said spider iframes, end meens'ior'rengaging; the pinion with tbe master gear, sobstentialiy es described. y v

i3. in e eentriiogalj machine, the

isposed siiait, a master geer thereon, a transverse shaft and gearing for driving the vertical shaft from the transverse shaft e sleeve loosely mounted on seid shaft, a ictionel gear on said sleeve, a irietional pulley on said transverse-shaft i'orn drivin seid sleeve in dopendently of the vertice shaft, spiders mounted on said sleeve, vertically disposed drying cylinders having their shafts journ naled in said spiders., a pinion on each cylinder shaft adapted to mesh with the gearing for driving r linders having then* shafts jonrneled` mster geer, e ring for pent of the rotation.,

master gear, e ring 'ier holding eeiri, pinion in roe-sli with said gear during inert oi tbe rotation oi. seid spider rernes,means for disengaging ,tile inion from tiie rooster geen: during enot er part of the rotation of 'said spider frames, and means for reengaging,` the pinion with the master gear, substantially as described.

14. In a centrifugal dryin combination of a verticeily e. master gear thereon, a transverse shaft end gearing for driving time vertical shaft from the transverse shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted on seid shaft, gearing for driving the sieeve from said transverse sheit independently oi the vertical' shaft, spiders mounted on said sleeve, drying cylinders heving their shafts jour naled in seid spiders, a pinion on each cylinder 'shaft adapted to mesh with the holdingsaid pinion in mesh with seid master eer during peri; of the rotation oi said spi er iframe., means machine, the isposed sbait,

"gior disengaging the pinion from the master gear during another part of the rotation of said spiderirames, end means for reengaging the pinion with the insister ineens for ders dering their orbital movement, means for arresting the' rotation of the cylinders While their pinions are disengaged from the'jmaster gear; and means for catching and directing tbe seperated liquid dis charged from the cylinders.

in testimony that i claim the foregoing; as my own, i aiiix my signature in presence offtvvo witnesses i @LARENGE W. HOWARD,

Witnesses:

Winnen W. Simmer), Wninmn A. Sunrise.

feeding; nisteriai into the eylintio vertically disposed 

